What's Missing from Maples?

I've spent enough time here railing on the lackluster ambiance at Stanford football games, and now that the NCAA football season is over and the Cardinal are Orange Bowl champs, it's time to move on to some new things.  Today, it's time to talk about the lackluster ambiance at Stanford basketball games.  I want to write more about Maples Pavilion itself at a later date; I went to Saturday night's game vs. Washington State on relatively short notice, and didn't think to bring my camera.  For now, though, just know that the arena is a solid college basketball facility that, under the right set of circumstances, seems like it could be an exciting and fun place to watch a college basketball game.

Saturday night's game was apparently not the right set of circumstances.  There were a lot of possible explanations for why the energy level at the Washington State game could have been unusually low.  It was MLK Day weekend, so a lot of potential fans might have been out of town for the weekend.  Washington State isn't a Stanford rival (and isn't a very exciting team to watch this season), so borderline fans who only come to a game or two each season are likely waiting for UCLA or Oregon to roll into town.  And, despite a solid 3-1 start in PAC-10 play entering the game, Stanford hoops isn't that good (though they have potential to be a force in a year or two), and the fact that they blew a double-digit lead during a collapse that everyone saw coming didn't help matters.  So when I say that the atmosphere at the game was lacking, maybe I shouldn't have been surprised.  Still, I was expecting more.

I think what was most disappointing about the game was what it seems like a Stanford game at Maples could be (and, according to friends who were Stanford undergraduates, was just a few seasons ago).  Maples is a good facility that's the right combination of intimate and intimidating.  Like the Ivy League (yes, I'm biased), The PAC-10 schedule is well structured and predictable, making it easy for fans to remember when games are and who they're against.  Stanford basketball's Sixth Man club has a strong tradition, and apparently was a key part of the team's Sweet Sixteen trip just three seasons ago.  While the game was far from awful (I did have a lot of fun standing on the risers in the student section just a few feet from the sideline - it brought me back to my days as a member of the "Jadwin Jungle"), I was expecting more from my third PAC-10 arena experience (I've been to games at UCLA and USC before).

I definitely plan to go to more games this year - both because I love college basketball and because I think the scene will be a lot better when the Cardinal play some more interesting opponents - and I hope what may turn out to be a rebuilding year for Stanford basketball doesn't turn fans away.  If we've learned anything from the Stanford football team (honored at center court during halftime of the Washington State game), it's that on-field / on-court performances can turn around quickly here.  Let's hope that the same can be said about the performances of the Stanford basketball fans.